Years ago, I had the pleasure of riding with a cycling group on A1A in the Palm Beach area. They all wore jersey’s with BEITZIM in bold letters across their backs. Their stories seared me. I hope this rant does likewise for you…
It was a cool early morning and really windy. Headed north on A1A looking for a group to tuck into going south. After twenty miles fighting the wind on my lonesome I noticed a group (finally) turning out of parking lot and heading south. Quickly I turned ’round and tucked into the middle of the pack. Took up a conversation with a woman from Venezuela. She told me the group was mostly from Central and South America and were riding back to their home base of Miami. She welcomed me into their group and told me which wheels to avoid. After about three minutes of warmup the dudes at the front cranked up the heat. We flew.
I was hanging on for dear life and loving every minute of it. Talked to a dude from South Africa, another from Cuba, and made quick friends with a talkative chap from Mexico. After about ten minutes of hearing about all the comrades on the ride, I asked my new friend what Beitzim meant. I knew it had to have some significance.
It did.
He told me it’s a Hebrew word as most of the cyclist on this ride were Jewish (smiled inside just thinking what a serendipitous moment God had given me). “It means eggs,” he said matter of factly. “But the slang use of the word is balls, big balls.” I was riding with a group, he told me, that was fearless. They had left everything to come to this country – they were ballsey. I smiled a Duchenne smile and laughed at this moment of clarity. Beitzim.
This country was created with Beitzim. It belongs to men and women with beitzim, right? We’ve been given a great gift as Ben Franklin shared so long ago. “A Republic, if you can keep it.”
Freedom is not free, remember. We cannot keep a real Republic without you and me remembering our heritage as a people. Slow down. Reflect. Where is your fear bigger than your eggs? Thanks, Ben and my BEITZIM cycling brothers and sisters for your example. Together we transform. Always together. LFG. It’s time to get moving, huh.
Live hard. Love harder…
BUILT TO LEAD 